An illegal Pakistani migrant was caught watching porn at his own trial in France, where he was convicted of charges of sexual assault. During the trial, his lawyer also deployed a legal tactic used more and more frequently to reduce sentences, claiming that the homeless migrant acted due to his “patriarchal culture.”
Mr. M, whose full name has not been released, was brought before judges of the Créteil judicial court for sexually assaulting a woman in Choisy Park and assaulting her husband. He had no record before the incident, but due to his illegal status, he is considered a high flight risk.
In court, the victim, Mrs. G, said that she was spending some time with family in Choisy Park and then decided to go home. After a few steps, she felt like she was being followed. The suspect, Mr. M, touched her genitals and grabbed her buttocks. When she turned and punched him in the shoulder, Mr. M told her, “I want you.” Mrs. G then called for her husband, who was still inside the park with her family. When he ran up to help his wife, the Pakistani migrant punched him.
“He continued to come towards my husband, who pushed him away with his fists,” said Mrs. M.
The couple called the police, and they arrived on scene to arrest the suspect, who was highly intoxicated.
She was examined by a doctor from the hospital’s forensic unit, who issued her six days of leave from work due to the psychological consequences of the event. She stated that she had been sexually assaulted a few years earlier and that the latest sexual assault “rekindled suffering.”
Pakistani migrant watched porn during trial
In court, Mr. M claimed that he told the woman she “dressed very skimpily” and that she was “very beautiful,” but denied starting the encounter by grabbing her genitals. Court reporters said that the man appeared to be “searching his memory,” and then he stated: “Maybe I touched her. I was drunk.”
He also accused the husband of punching first. At this point, the trial took an absurd turn, according to French newspaper Actu-Juridique.
The judge asked him what he was doing on his phone, at which point the man said, “I was watching a song on Youtube.”
Court officers then searched his phone and found that he was on a video chat application that featured photos of naked women. The judge confronted him about it, asking:”Is that what you were looking at when you were sitting on the bench?”
The man denied that he had been watching porn. After the phone was taken away, the trial resumed.
The defense attorney then asked, “Do you admit to having put a hand on this lady’s buttocks?” The defendant then responded, “Yes.” He said he would then like to apologize to both of them.
The 32-year-old Pakistani man stood before the judges and blamed his “alcohol addiction.” He is also a habitual user of cannabis.
During the sentencing part of the trial, the Pakistani man’s lawyer said: “There is still a long way to go in educating men, especially when they come from Pakistan. This one is the product of a patriarchal system, of a culture where forced marriage is still practiced.” The lawyer continued to explain the cultural gap between Pakistan and France while arguing for a reduced sentence. He also spoke of the man’s “frustrated sex life,” saying he only had intercourse “months ago.”
The lawyer said his client learned his lesson, which is that “you have to approach the person first before touching them.”
To help Mr. M better “control his sexual urges” and treat his alcohol addiction, the lawyer is also requesting compulsory psychological treatment.
The judge found Mr. M guilty of three offenses — sexual assault, violence, and use of cannabis — and sentenced him to eight months in prison, along with a 10-year ban on entering French territory. He must pay Mrs. G and Mr. G €2,000 and €200, respectively.